What it is: a sweeping history of carbon, the basic yet multifaceted chemical element that's essential to life as we know it.

What sets it apart: Structured like a symphony, this book unfolds in four parts inspired by the classic elements of earth, air, fire, and water.

About the author: Geologist (and semi-professional musician) Robert M. Hazen is a founder of the Deep Carbon Observatory, an international, interdisciplinary group of scientists dedicated to carbon research.

What it is: a lyrical and wide-ranging exploration of the world beneath our feet from tunnels and caves to catacombs and burial chambers to underground vaults and bunkers.

Why you might like it: Nature writer Robert Macfarlane embarks on a journey both literal and metaphorical, connecting real-world observations to representations of the underworld in mythology, art, and literature.

Want a taste? "Into the underland we have long placed that which we fear and wish to lose, and that which we love and wish to save."

What it is: an "accessible yet sophisticated chronicle" (New York Times) of Silicon Valley that spans seven decades and includes the U.S. military-industrial complex, Stanford University, the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, and a sprawling cast of interesting characters.

Did you know? The name "Silicon Valley" was coined in 1971 by Electronic News writer Don Hoefler.

Try this next: Leslie Berlin's Troublemakers, another well-researched nonfiction account of the region's transformation into a tech hub.

What it is: an exciting account of the Apollo 8 mission that blends technical details of the mission with profiles of its participants.

Why you might like it: Science writer Jeffrey Kluger draws on interviews with crew members Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders, as well as materials from the NASA Oral History Project, to recreate the mission.

You might also like: Robert Poole's Earthrise, which examines the creation of the iconic photograph of Earth as seen from space.